A Soft Thought
by Ninmub
Summary: Anzu watches Shizuka sleep…but Shizuka wakes up… [Random Sideshipping oneshot, written simply because the world needs more girlgirl stuff.]


**Disclaimer:** All together now: not mine.

**Warnings:** Shoujo-ai consisting of Anzu being contemplative, Shizuka being innocent, and saliva being exchanged.

**Notes:** What on earth am I doing writing girl/girl, anyway? It's my first, and I haven't read very much either - usually I go for the more yoai-ish side of fanfiction. So if this is completely deranged, it's a symptom of Newbie Syndrome. You have been warned.

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**A Soft Thought**

by Ninmub

The window had been left open, Anzu noticed, and the rain was spattering through it onto the carpet. The scent of deep earth and dark water spilled in on the damp, silvery breeze, sending shivers cascading down her arms, but she was far too comfortable to get up. It didn't matter _too_ much if the carpet got wet, she told herself firmly, and snuggled back down into her blanket.

Curled up at the foot of the bed, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Shizuka had drifted off earlier that afternoon as they had sat together on her bed conducting a vague, half-hearted conversation about something Anzu could no longer remember. The words hadn't been important.

Shizuka had been smiling dreamily, contentedly, raising a long, smooth hand to cover her mouth every now and then as she gulped down an apologetic yawn. Anzu hadn't really been thinking about what she was saying; she had been chuckling lightly about something that hadn't really been too funny when Shizuka, the small smile still playing about her lips, had wriggled down into the pillows and closed her eyes.

Anzu had blinked, slipped off the bed, and padded out of the room to find something else to do, knowing that Shizuka had probably been up all night e-mailing her American friends. The smudged slivers of bruise-coloured skin beneath her eyes were proof of that. Anzu, feeling slightly disorientated, had watched TV for a while, staring blankly at the screen, shivering when the wind picked up and fat, heavy drops of mercurial rain began to plop down from the silver sky.

Try as she might, she hadn't been able to focus on anything.

Eventually, she had found her way back to Shizuka's bedroom, where she had stood for a while, staring at the small girl's fragile shoulders, at her thin, pointed face, at the rich waves of coppery-brown hair spilling across the pillow. Shizuka had once told Anzu that the only thing she really liked about herself was her hair. Anzu hadn't been able to believe that. She'd always been almost envious of Shizuka's fragility, of her bright, soft eyes and tiny, happy smile.

She'd stood in the doorway for a long time, listening to Shizuka's light, snuffling breaths, before tiptoeing across the room and sitting down on the bed, swinging her bare feet from side to side. She'd half expected Shizuka to wake up, but she hadn't; and so Anzu had lain down at the foot of the bed, huddled up into herself, and closed her eyes.

She liked being here, warm and comfortable, and near to Shizuka. They'd become very close, despite their different ages. Anzu had never had very many other girl friends. The first time she'd seen Shizuka, her eyes still covered by bandages, her small face creased up in fear for Jounouchi, she'd been struck by how small and alone she'd seemed. It had been nice, as they'd spent more and more time together, to talk, to go shopping, to sit and eat ice cream together in the sunlight – just small things, everyday things.

She'd grown to like seeing Shizuka smile. She liked to know that the younger girl was happy, was beginning to shake off her fears. She could still remember how amazed she had been while watching Shizuka on one particular day: licking a faint smear of strawberry from her lips, the light pouring down around her and making her hair glow. The sight had made Anzu's heart skip a beat, simply because of Shizuka's almost unearthly prettiness, and because of the brilliant, carefree happiness shining in her eyes.

A gust of wind rattled the window again. Anzu sighed glumly and got up, stretching. Perhaps she should close it, after all. Rainwater could do damage to carpeting. She walked slowly across the room, drew the latch closed, and then walked back to the bed, suddenly reluctant to lie down again as a soft thought nudged the back of her mind. Shizuka looked so tiny and solemn, drowned in her pale blue blankets, a few stuffed toys, mementos of not-so-distant childhood, crowded around her like a team of fluffy bodyguards.

Anzu almost laughed at this rather confused simile, and reached down to move a few wisps of hair away from Shizuka's face, tucking them carefully behind her ear. Anzu couldn't help but notice how soft Shizuka's skin was, and how cold. Goosebumps were prominent on her thin arms. Gently, she drew the blankets up across the girl's shoulders, tucking them right up under her chin, before laying a finger alongside Shizuka's cheek, tilting her face into the light. Almost wondering at the strangeness of what she was feeling, she knelt down awkwardly, cupping Shizuka's chin gently in her palm. Shizuka stirred, her spindly fingers reaching up and brushing Anzu's, clinging to them heavily.

Anzu, her heart beginning to ache, leaned down further, slipping her hand into Shizuka's hair, dimly amazed at how soft and cool it was. Foreheads touching, Anzu smiled to herself softly, before touching her mouth briefly to Shizuka's.

Nothing happened.

Anzu, lost and completely bewildered at what she was unable to control, did it again, and again, kissing her friend's cheeks, eyelids, forehead, temple, neck: just light, nuzzling kisses, while all the while she felt as though she were about to faint, overwhelmed by the sweet smell of Shizuka's hair. Her hands were slipping down the other girl's arms, feeling the small stubbles of goosebumps, and she was kissing her lips again, kissing them and kissing them almost desperately…

How it happened Anzu never understood, but suddenly the cold, slender lips beneath hers had opened, and warmth was spreading through her entire body, a chain reaction of shivers shooting down her spine and into her stomach, her heartbeat doubling. Tiny hands had locked themselves around her neck and pulled her down onto the bed, so that she was crushing Shizuka's small, squirming body with her own.

Suddenly horrified at herself, Anzu rolled away, scrambling backwards and biting her lip. Slowly, Shizuka sat up, wrapping her arms around herself and shuddering in the cold, looking up at Anzu hesitantly, her chin beginning to tremble. "Um…sorry," she said, swallowing. "I…I didn't…you know…" Her voice died away, and her gaze dropped.

Anzu, unable to bear seeing her looking so small and frightened, almost cried out, but controlled herself. Taking a deep breath, and smiling, she leant forwards and tilted Shizuka's pale, scared face up to look into her own. "Hey," she said, as brightly as she could. "It's alright."

Shizuka's hands came up and clutched at Anzu's, her eyes locking onto the older girl's face as the two slowly drew together again. Anzu wrapped her free arm around Shizuka's waist, cuddling her close before delving into that sweet, cool mouth once more. The feel of Shizuka's heartbeat against hers, and the thick, supple waves of darkly bronzed hair falling around them both, was more than enough to let her know that Shizuka had never been more alive than now.

The raindrops hurled themselves against the glass, sliding down in thick, glutinous streaks. Shizuka, pressed up against Anzu, kissing her rapturously, could not remember having ever been as warm this.

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Blame the caffeine. What else am I supposed to do at 2 AM, damn it?

Comments? Constructive criticism? Tips on how to write shoujo-ai properly? Wails of despair at the slaughtering of the AnzuShizu pairing?

Love to hear 'em all, folks.


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